STEPHAN ECKEL joined Santa Paula, CA-based Calavo Growers as senior account manager Feb.11.

Mr. Eckel first got his start in produce when the construction industry took a downturn in the late 80s, leading him to start working in a cooler in Oceanside, CA, for Calberi where he loaded trucks and learned to speak Spanish. Twenty-three years later, he is a produce industry veteran.

Analyzing scan data from almost 3,800 California supermarkets, the latest Market Report from the Fresh Produce & Floral Council showed that fresh fruit and vegetable sales volume grew by 4 percent in 2012 while there was a 1 percent increase in retail dollar sales.

Arvin, CA-based Kern Ridge Growers LLC has experienced good growth in its carrot operation over the past year for a variety of reasons, including diversity within its carrot offerings as well as the inclusion of navel oranges as a companion shipping item.

Cottle Strawberry Nursery Inc. in Faison, NC, has been in the berry business for three generations. This year it will enter the Florida blueberry deal with its own “Cottle Farms” label for the first time.

“We’ve brokered berries here for years but this will be our first year being in control of the fruit and picking where we want to go and when and how,” said President Ron Cottle.

The decision to get into the Florida blueberry deal was easy, Mr. Cottle said.

JIMMY COPPOLA joined Leamington, ON-based Westmoreland Sales’ TopLine team as an account manager in February.

In his new role, Mr. Coppola will be handling commodities such as greenhouse tomatoes, cucumbers, Bell peppers and a long line of specialty products. He also recently took on the marketing responsibilities for TopLine.

Florida’s blueberry industry came from a standing start to a significant present and an even more promising future in roughly a decade, but already the industry is at a crossroads of sorts. Smaller producers are falling by the wayside as major players and outside influences maneuver to propel the deal to the next level as the industry matures.